Kobe: We've Got to Win

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It will go down in the season annals as the six-game trip that started for the Lakers with a victory March 10 in Dallas and the Kobe Bryant declaration that "Nobody standing in front of us thinks we're going to win on this road trip."

Four days later, Bryant moved on to challenging reporters who predicted the Lakers would miss the playoffs for the first time since 1994, saying "If you're wrong ... there goes your raises," even as his team lost by 14 to the Washington Wizards.

By the time, however, the Lakers were ready to head home after Friday night's 103-97 loss to the Indiana Pacers, Bryant's tone had changed with the postseason seemingly falling further out of reach by the game.

"We've got to win," Bryant said. "I don't care who we play. I don't care if we play San Antonio the last 17 games. We've got to win. We've just got to figure out a way to get it done. I don't care who we play, where we play, when we play."

With four weeks left in the regular season, the Lakers (32-33) trail the Denver Nuggets by 2 games for the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot and face the reality of the toughest remaining schedule among their counterparts.

They will host the Seattle SuperSonics tonight at Staples Center and need a victory to avoid their first five-game losing streak in more than a decade. Then they head back on the road for games at Utah and Denver this week.

"It can be done, it definitely can be done," forward Brian Grant said. "We still have opportunity. We are nowhere near out of it. But we have to start playing like a team that's desperate, understanding that we can't afford a few more losses."

</div> Source

 

Thanks, I was around for the Sedale Threatt and Cedric Ceballos era. Hard times is what seperates the die hards from the bandwagon fans.

 

Kobe is the only one showing up on a nightly basis. Kobe is the only one playing his heart out every game, no one else is showing up or doing that. Even if they started now, with our schedule, it is too late.

I think the draft would be better for us than the playoffs, but like nMg said, with Mitch in charge...I am kind of worried.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting trenchteam:</div><div class="quote_post">Ceballos, Van Exel, Divac, Campbell, and Threatt. Good lineup IMO.

I was around for that era as well as the Magic, Worthy, Scott, Jabbar, and Green and Cooper.

Good stuff!</div>Yeah I was around for the LakeShow as well, but going from that team to the 1993-94 team was brutal. Even Sam Bowie managed to make that team.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Mr.Wade:</div><div class="quote_post">It's kinda hard for Odom to show up every night though, he gets it done on the boards... 10.5 a game i think, but his style of play clashes with Kobes, which means he wont be able to do much...

Lakers need to trade Odom... make a team that revolves around Bryant as a player and the way he plays...</div>

For once, I agree with you.

Odom's play just doesn't mesh with Kobe's style of play. Mitch Kupcake needs to realize that and make some moves in the offseason to either ship Odom or get Odom in his natural position, the 3.

We also need to get a good pg in the draft (Chris Paul [trade up], Raymond Felton, Jon Gilchrist [if he declares]), and then look for a PF to get (Wayne Simien possibly?).

The Laker haters will label Kobe a failure, but he hasn't even had a full-offseason to mesh with this team, it will take awhile for the Laker organization to get the lineup they want around Kobe and for that lineup to mesh. It is crazy to think Kobe and the Lakers will not be back with a player of Kobe's stature leading them.